Is my internal hard drive damaged?

I have a 1tb internal hard drive from an old laptop that i have not used. But might have stored very little if any. I put it in an enclosure and connected it via usb to my chromebook. When i did this, i noticed it showed the files etc. But because im not that familiar with chromebook, ,that disappeared. Then i disconnected it from the usb port. Yes i didn't think at all at the time. When i connect it back, i get message from chromebook


whoa there be careful in the future be sure to ejectr your removable device in the files app before =unpluggin it. Otherwise, you might lose data. i got like 20 plus messages of it etc.


The thing is the hard drive still seems to be vibrating a bit when connect to my chromebook. Does anyone know how could i check if it works? I dont mind everything wiped out of there because i dont believe i even put anything in it. I did recall it had like 2gb in one of the 3 files when it was opened etc. But because i dont know how to use chromebook that well, this happened. Does anyone have any tips on this? I assume my chromebook is fine but maybe i damaged the internal hard drive? This is so frustrating. Im always bad luck.

 

Use some SMART utility e.g. CrystalDiskInfo. Preferably on a real computer. JK, I just have no idea what Android/Chromebook apps are used for that and too lazy to google it. =p

 

It shows datapart1. But then it immediately disappears and the message of


Removeable device detected

Explore the device's content in the files app


Whoa, there. Be careful.

In the future, be sure to eject your removable device in the files app before unplugging it. Otherwise, you might lose data.



Does anyone know what i can do now? I had tried to click format device but then the datapart 1 keeps disappearing and reappearing etc.


The thing is i do not want to plug this internal hard drive with enclosure into my main laptop as to damage that. But i do have another windows computer where i could plug it into.


Does anyone have any advice? Oh man i can't believe this happened. The thing is if this was a usb or external hard drive, i dont think this would have happened but because it was an internal hard drive put in with enclosure, could this be damaged the hard drive?

 

@Drew1 just plug it in a Windows machine with CrystalDiskInfo installed, and post a screenshot of what it tells about your external drive. If it keeps connecting and disconnecting, likely the USB-SATA bridge (i.e. enclosure circuitry, nothing to do with the drive) died, and you'll need to try the drive in another USB enclosure, or connected to SATA, to know for sure.

 

Hi there. But do i risk infecting the internal hard drive with enclosure if that other windows computer has a virus etc? I dont believe it has virus but a while back i did a reinstall of windows 7 of it but i didnt wipe out all the files as old files are still there.


So download that program, then plug it into the windows 7 desktop?


Again this is not an external hard drive, its an internal with enclosure.

 

@Drew1 even if it has a virus, wiping the drive with another machine will resolve the issue. So, just do it.

External drive is exactly what you described - internal in enclosure. They are essentially absolutely the same. Some greedy HDD producing companies e.g. WD in their constant effort to maximize profits put USB to SATA bridge - the weakest part of external drive, most prone to both physical and electrical damage - directly on the drive, instead of using SATA connector and separate USB-to-SATA board, making data recovery a pain if said bridge fails - but that's about all the difference there could possible be between internal and external HDDs.

 

Hi i downloaded it. I see


3 yellow folders


...
cdiresource
license
diskinfo32.exe
diskinfo64.exe


What am i suppose to extract here? I clicked zip file to download

 

Im using winrar evaluation copy.

 

@Drew01 run diskinfo64.exe if you have x64 OS, or diskinfo32.exe if you have x86 OS. Maximise the app's window, select your external drive, press alt+printscreen, attach a screenshot to your post.

 

hi there okay i did that.


Right now it shows


My windows 7 desktop hard drive


500gb hard drive

sata 300

health status good



How do i have it check the internal hard drive in enclosure? I connected it to a usb port but nothing shows up.

 

It has message usdb device not recognized. Then when i clicked on the bottom right, it says failed with a red x.

Does that mean its damaged?

 

HDD's medium is SATA generally

 

@Drew1 yes, however hopefully it's the enclosure bridge, not the drive itself. You need to check the drive either in another USB enclosure, or in another system, connected to SATA directly.

 

Hi there. Right now there was a blue light that showing. It then ask me if i want to format it. I clicked yes.


Now it shows 2 boxes


Checking disk datapart1


check disk options


Both of these are hidden checked. I checked the scan etc.


automatically fix file system errors
scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors

long recovery line it seems

1024




But is the same message


You need to format the disk in drive I before you can use use it. Do youw ant to format it? I already clicked yes to this earlier.

There is option to click format disk and cancel. But i just did this earlier



The checking disk datapart1 I drive does not appear to do anything. It has words start where you can't click on it and cancel which you could click on



So right now is it formatting or not? Should i click cnacel and then format disk on the other window?

 

Right now i see a blue light on the enclosure. So that means it works most likely?

It does show in computer drive ... datapart 929gb free of 931gb.


But right now there doesn't seem to be anything done ... nothing is formatting etc on the screen...


I assume click cancel on checking disk datapart1 I


Then click format disk on


you need to format the disk is drive I before you can use it? But earlier i already clicked this.

 

Hi there, it processed. So right now i see it showing as local drive I on my desktop windows 7. How do i view the health status of this hard drive on the crystaldiskinfo?


Then afterwards eject it from windows 7 properly... then plug it into chromebook and there should be no issues right?

 

@Drew1 launch CrystalDiskInfo after the drive is recognized, choose appropriate drive letter on top bar.

 

hi there.


it shows 1000gb


health status

good



So that is fine and working then? I notice the total host reads are like 25 and 80gb. The windows 7 desktop one is like over 15000. Thats because i used it for so long right?


So as long as the health status is good, then the hard drive is good? So if the hard drive is damaged, that mean you would not be able to recognize it anyway possible on the crystaldiskinfo?

 

I connected it to my chromebook. There was the blue light. But now there isn't anymore. Its not shown at all in files in chromebook...

 

I connected it back to the windows computer. It has that same message of recommending you to scan it and repair the bad vectors so i checked it. Right now im waiting for it to scan again...

 

@Drew1 you should add screenshot of exact CrystalDiskInfo data here.

 

hi there.


Right now it shows in checking disk


The number is over 22 million free clusters processed. And its less than 20% done. So is this very bad?

 

wdc 1000.2gb hard drive


total host reads 30gb

total host writes 85gb

rotation rate 5400 rpm

power on count 32 coun

power on hours 46 hours



Read error rate... 51 for threshold

spin up time.... 21 for threshold

reallocated sectors count 140 for threshold



The rest of the numbers between this internal enclosure and the hard drive in my desktop is very similiar.

 

ok it took many hours and it showed over 200 million clusters processed. The thing is it said there are no errors. When i plug it into my desktop windows 7, it shows


data part1 I drive

928gb free of 931gb


Thus it looks like it is fine on the desktop windows 10.


When i connect it to my chromebook, there is the blue light which show it works, but then it immediately is no more light and now it had that same notification. Thus it does not recognize the drive and enclosure. I used an old usb stick and connected it to the chromebook. It recognizes it.


So can someone explain why it seem to work on the desktop computer but doesn't recognize on the chromebook?

 

I just plugged it into my desktop windows 7 computer and it shows it as the I drive etc. But when i connect it to chromebook, it does recognize it for a bit but then immediately doesn't recognize it anymore... there is no blue light. And it has that whoa message.


Does anyone have a clue why it does this then? It can't be the usb port because i used a usb flash drive and connected it to chromebook and it recognizes. And it does show the hard drive with the 928gb free of 931b on the desktop.

 

@Drew1 maybe your Chromebook does not provide enough current. If the drive works with other laptops, that would be the logical assumption. Can you try connecting it to Chromebook via powered USB hub or Y-cable?

I personally am not familiar with ChromeOS, so won't be able to help diagnose software issues - only hardware; if the issue is software, I won't be of much help.

 

Well i had chromebook plugged in charger though. But i never heard of power not strong enough. What do you mean via powered usb hub?


Again, that would not make sense since people use external hard drive with chromebook right?

 

Not the power to the chromebook; the power to the USB external drive.

See:
https://sgcdn.startech.com/005329/media/products/gallery_large/USB2HABMYX.Main.jpg



Your drive, the external enclosure or their combination is using more power than the drive and associated electronics need to spin up with your chromebook.

 

@Drew1 on some (mostly older) laptops some or all USB ports are unable to provide current according to specification, due to poor electrical design - maybe that is the case with your Chromebook. Again, if it's a software issue, I sadly can't help, you better off asking in Chromebook forum.

 

Hi there. Would i need to buy that powered usb hub? Is there a chance i might have this somewhere in one of my cables etc and if so from what?


Its acer 14 chromebook and very good looking laptop. I believe it doesnt have a place to put micro sd slot. But i cant imagine this doesn't have the power to supply the current. I mean maybe its because its internal enclosure? Thus external hard drive have no issues? So the enclosure is probably the reason? I bought this a while back and it was like 12 dollars or so i believe but it had great reviews.

 

Hi there. I just plugged in a seagate external hard drive into the usb port in my chromebook. It recognizes it and has no issues. Thus this has nothing to do with the usb port on my chromebook.

When i plugged in the internal hard drive enclosure into it before this, it did recognize it for a second as it showed up with the name database i believe.

Then i did this again and you could see when you open files up, it shows the name of the hard drive as datapart. It would keep showing up and disappearing after few seconds




Then on the bottom right corner, it would have the same message over and over again in like 30 plus notificaitons

Removeable device detected

Explore the device's content in the files app


Whoa, there. Be careful.

In the future, be sure to eject your removable device in the files app before unplugging it. Otherwise, you might lose data.

 

Okay so in those 2 usb ports on my chromebook, i had the usb for my wireless mouse in the top usb port. I just now decided to put that usb for wireless mouse in the port below it and then plug in the internal hard drive enclosure into the top usb port and does work on the other usb port. I only have 2 usb ports on the chromebook. The top usb port i had plugged in the usb for the wifi mouse i use.


So what does that mean? That the other usb port is damaged? Well that can't be it because a regular usb stick and a 1tb external hard drive works on that port. Right now i connected the usb for my wireless mouse to the usb port where it could not connect/recognize on my laptop.


I did not want to do this earlier in case it might damage the usb for my wireless mouse. Thoughts on this?

 

@Drew1 poor electrical design of your Chromebook. Nothing you can do about it.

 

Is there a way to find out if other ppl who have the acer 14 chromebook has the same issue? However in order to do this, they would have to plug in an internal hard drive enclosure on the 2nd usb port right? And thus very few ppl would even plug that in because either usb stick or external hard drive?

Is it possible i damaged it when i pulled it out when i didn't eject it?

 

I think you're missing the point that has been repeated many times already: your notebook's electrical design falls short on the power delivery to the USB port(s) from rated specs.

Unless you tried to pull out the USB connector sideways; you didn't damage the port or drive enclosure.

Safely ejecting it means to ensure the integrity of the DATA; not the hardware (as it is designed to be used like that).